Sep 22 2023

US Senate Banking Committee Chairman Says Committee Will Pass Marijuana Banking Bill With a “Strong Majority”

Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, says that the committee will “decisively” pass the SAFER Banking Act when it’s considered on September 27.

During an interview with Matt Laslo from Ask a Pol, Senator Brown says he expects a “strong majority” of the committee will vote to approve the SAFER Banking Act, which is a bipartisan update of the SAFE Banking Act that was filed on Wednesday. The proposal is cosponsored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Jeff Merkley, Steve Daines, Kyrsten Sinema, Cynthia Lummis, Kevin Cramer, Cory Booker, Dan Sullivan and Bob Menendez.

The SAFER Banking Act would offer federal protections for banks, credit unions and other financial institutions accepting deposits, extending credit, or providing payment services to an individual or business engaged in cannabis related commerce in states where such activity is legal, so long as they are compliant with all other applicable laws and regulations. It also provides a safe harbor to credit unions and employees who are not aware if their members or customers are involved in cannabis businesses.
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Sep 22 2023

New Michigan Bill Would Legalize Magic Mushrooms, DMT, Ibogaine and Mescaline

Legislation filed in the Michigan Legislature would legalize certain psychedelic substances.

Mescaline (top left), ibogaine (top right), psilocyn mushrooms (bottom left), DMT (bottom right).

Senate Bill 499 would legalize the personal possession of psilocybin and psilocyn, both forms of magic mushrooms, while also legalizing DMT, mescaline and ibogaine.

The proposal, filed by Senator Jeff Irwin, would allow these substances to be grow and distributed so long as it’s done “without receiving money or other valuable consideration.” With that in mind, the measure would not allow psychedelics to be sold through retail outlets.
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Sep 22 2023

Columbia, Missouri City Council Votes to End Marijuana Testing for Job Applicants

The Columbia City Council has approved an ordinance that will place an end to the practice of testing city employees for marijuana.

The new law will go into effect on October 1. Approval of the ordinance follows a four-year collective bargaining agreement between the city and Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 955 (representing service and maintenance workers).

“The most clear (reasoning) is that it’s legal,” said Andrew Hutchinson, a union representative. “There’s no reason to continue to waste time and thin the pool of applicants when it’s a legal, recreational or medicinal drug.”
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Sep 22 2023

New York: Court Rules in Favor of Leafly Regarding Online Marijuana Advertising

Earlier this week, Leafly, a leading online cannabis information resource and marketplace, along with New York dispensary Stage One, jointly filed a legal challenge to certain portions of the recently adopted Adult Use Regulations in New York.

On Thursday, the New York Attorney General’s Office agreed to a stay, and the court entered an order to that effect, which blocks the enforcement of the challenged regulations against Leafly and fully operational licensed cannabis dispensaries in New York State.

Leafly is the only third-party platform that the stay expressly allows to continue offering paid advertising services, display retailer product pricing, and transmit orders to licensed cannabis retailers in New York, according to a press release sent today.
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Sep 22 2023

NCAA Committee Votes to Remove Marijuana and Cananbinoids From Banned Substances List

Today, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced that a key committee has voted to recommend that marijuana and cannabinoids be removed from the list of banned substances.

The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recommended that each of the three divisional governance bodies introduce and adopt legislation that would remove marijuana and cannabinoids from the list of NCAA banned drug classes. Committee members, who met this week in Indianapolis, also recommended the development of a robust educational strategy to accompany a potential change to cannabinoid legislation.

This recommendation is based on “extensive study informed by industry and subject matter experts (including doctors, substance misuse experts and membership practitioners)”, according to a press release.
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Sep 22 2023

Legislation to Legalize Marijuana Introduced in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard has announced new legislation that would legalize recreational marijuana for everyone 21 and older.

“Today, [State Representative Darrin Brian Madison Jr.] and I are introducing a bill to fully legalize cannabis for responsible, adult usage in the State of Wisconsin”, Agard said in a social media post. “The people of this state know that antiquated prohibition policies are failing. It’s time to #LegalizeIt in Wisconsin once and for all.”

Agard then said “Folks, the most dangerous thing about cannabis is that it is illegal. Legalizing and taxing cannabis in Wisconsin — just like we already do with alcohol — regulates an already existing illicit market and creates safer communities.”
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Sep 22 2023

California Governor Sent Bill to Allow Older Patients to Access Marijuana at Health Care Facilities

Legislation that would allow older patients to use marijuana products at private hospitals and other healthcare facilities has been passed through the California Legislature and sent to Governor Gavin Newsom.

Under the current law only those who are considered to be terminally ill may use marijuana in specified health care settings. Senate Bill 302 would change this so that patients who are 65 or older could access marijuana products if a physician deems it appropriate.

SB 302, in a rare sign of clear bipartisanship, passed both the Senate and Assembly unanimously, 40 to 0 and 80 to 0.
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Sep 22 2023

Rhode Island: August Breaks Monthly Marijuana Sales Record

For the fourth straight month marijuana sales in Rhode Island have set a new monthly record.

The $9,672,793.26 in legal marijuana sold in August throughout Rhode Island is a roughly $200k increase over the record-breaking $9.46 million in sales in July. In June sales were $9.1 million, and they were $8.9 million in May, both monthly records at the time. This is according to data compiled and released by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations.

Of the $9.6 million sold in August, around $7 million was purchased by recreational consumers and $2.6 million was purchased by medical marijuana patients.
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Sep 22 2023

Study: 17% of Pediatric Patients With Cerebral Palsy Use CBD, For Some It Improves Emotional Health, Spasticity, and Pain

Nearly one in ever five pediatric patients with cerebral palsy use the marijuana compound cannabidiol (CBD) to help combat symptoms of the ailment, according to a new study published in the journal Orthopedics.

For the study, researchers at Stanford University conducted a survey of caregivers who have children with cerebral palsy (CP) regarding their use of CBD products.

“Cannabidiol (CBD)-containing supplements are used by children with cerebral palsy (CP), but the prevalence and efficacy of their use have not been studied”, states the study. “We sought to describe CBD use patterns and perceived efficacy in the pediatric population with CP, evaluating any association between CBD use and health-related quality of life.”
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Sep 21 2023

US Lawmakers Announce Bill to Block FDA From Legalizing or Rescheduling Marijuana

Today, U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Steve Daines (R-MT) announced that in the coming days they “will be introducing legislation to ensure marijuana cannot be legalized federally by the FDA without Congressional approval.”

colorado governor

The two lawmakers announced the upcoming proposal in a press release about a totally different measure, the SAFER Banking Act. No further information was given about the upcoming bill other than the fact that it would prevent the FDA from legalizing cannabis without congressional approval.

The measure is coming in response to a recent letter sent by the Department of Health to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), officially requesting marijuana be reclassified as a Schedule III. Doing so would legalize the plant for medical use across the United States, putting it in the same classification as prescribed drugs such as codeine and testosterone.
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